Griftor- The season of change
by Meya Orion
Summary: Everyone on the Blitz team expected the next challenge to be just another round of battles. But with the arrival of a strange zoid, nothing will be the same.
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAMIER: I only own the obvious characters and zoids. ++: Author's notes (if any).  
  
It was a beautiful night. The stars were out and shining brilliantly. Brad was glad that he had decided to come out here. Behind him, Shadowfox loomed over him and it seemed that both pilot and zoid were watching. The season was over for now and wouldn't start again for another six months. Doc was so happy that the Blitz team had won the Royal Cup that everyone was given a vacation. And a vacation was sorely needed. Next up would be battles against other teams in Class S. That would really be difficult. Brad was just glad to be able to get away for a while. With the Shadowfox (completely repaired) with him, traveling was easier than it might have been. He had decided to do a little camping up in the mountains. Afterwards, the warrior had vague plans of visiting some old friends and doing some sight seeing. Just then, he spotted a bright shooting star falling down. He smiled and leaned back against his zoid's front legs. Lady Luck was smiling down on him.  
  
Dana Sol slowly opened her eyes and hoped that she was alive. Fortunately she was. That meant that the designer of this damn thing was going to go on living, for now at least. She and Griftor had landed here using an experimental landing capsule. And as soon as it had hit the atmosphere, she understood why. It got unbearably hot inside and there were times that she thought that thing would tear apart from the pressure and increasing gravity. But it held together through entry and the landing, or rather crash. Dana took several deep breaths before unbuckling the safety strap that held her to her seat. She fell a little ways; the capsule had rotated a bit as it came down. The pilot cursed as she slowly stood up and took note of the condition of the rest of the interior. Opposite her bolted down chair were about ten packages tied down to the wall. The packages contained rations, supplies, and a few personal items. To the right was the front of the capsule with a shatterproof window to give her a glimpse of the outside. It didn't offer much of a view. The glass used had shattered on impact and all she could see was the ground. And to the left was her zoid, Griftor. He had been strapped in tighter than Dana had been. Mostly because he was just a little smaller in size than a White Leager. If his straps got loose, he was capable of crushing her and everything in the capsule. Everything appeared to be all right, considering. With a sigh, the pilot began to release the packages and carry them outside. The door still worked and wasn't blocked. Dana didn't pause to look around until after they were all out. The capsule had landed high up in some mountain range. The front of the capsule faced into the rocks. At the back, Dana could see a large forest and a river below. Not a bad place to land, she thought. A deep growl caught her attention and reminded her of one other thing she needed to do. "All right, all right. I'm coming to let you out, partner." She made her way back inside and unbuckled the straps holding the zoid in place. At five and a half feet tall, Dana had a little trouble reaching some of the straps higher up. Still, she managed to get them all undone. But he was still hunched down on all fours with no immediate way of getting out. Dana sat in her chair trying to think of something when her partner came up with an idea. She had a brief warning before Griftor pivoted one of his pulse cannons to the back end and blew it away. The explosion left her momentarily deaf and blind but at least the zoid could get out now. Griftor crawled out backwards and shook his body when he was clear of the capsule. The star and moonlight made him glow. It was an impressive sight. "I hope you're happy now, friend," she said. The zoid let out a mighty and relieved screech. Dana nodded, "Good, because I have to get this equipment loaded on before we can move out." He grumbled at being used as a carrier but consented. She laughed and removed her helmet. A light wind began playing with her wavy copper, shoulder-length tresses as they were freed from their confinement. Her green eyes sparkled in the fading light. Her body was trim and a bit under developed for a woman of twenty-three. She let the helmet fall from her hands and set to work. Dana prayed that no one had overheard their arrival.  
  
Brad looked up from his dinner and listened carefully. A moment ago, he thought that he had heard an explosion of some kind, then a powerful scream. He didn't know what had made it, but he doubted that it had been human or animal. Brad couldn't hear anything now except for the usual nighttime noises: insects chirping, owls calling, and leaves rustling in the wind. Nothing unusual now. Silently he returned to his food. He tried to focus on finishing dinner and getting a good night's sleep. Yet the sounds he had heard bothered him. Then he resolved that tomorrow he would take a run in the Shadowfox and see if he couldn't find anything. It wasn't like he was on a schedule or anything. The next morning dawned beautifully. Brad rose about mid-morning, packed up the gear, and headed off in the Shadowfox. The run was good the zoid needed the exercise. But the pilot was more focused on looking for any signs that might explain what he was certain he had heard last night. The morning yielded nothing productive. At noon, Brad stopped at a lake to get some water and cool down. He was there for several minutes when he heard it. The unmistakable noise of a moving zoid. The footsteps seemed to be coming to the lake off by his left. He jumped back into his zoid and backed it into the woods. Brad wanted a good look at the stranger but was reluctant to give himself away. He didn't have long to wait. And what he saw surprised him. It was a zoid all right, a ground zoid. It looked larger than Shadowfox but smaller than the Leager Zero. The front feet looked like hands and from the design, he guessed that one of its weapons was Strike Laser Claw. On its back he could make out a pair of some kind of cannons flanked by a pair of small engines. Probably to give it an extra burst of speed, he thought. At the back near the rear, there was what seemed to be another engine, but Brad couldn't imagine what it could be used for. Attached on both sides was something, but he didn't know what. Brad thought that they might be gold colored wings, yet they folded strangely. The elbow was folded downward to the ground with the tips pointing up. A long blade seemed to run the length of the wing from the elbow to the tip. There were also blades on the head that reminded Brad of the Schneider head blades. He could see what appeared to be a retractable frill on one side of the head. He couldn't guess what it was for. The head was shaped like a bird of prey with a sharp beak and blue eyes. A long tail on the end, and gold- like armor on the legs, head and back made this zoid one of the most impressive looking zoids Brad had seen. But what kind of zoid was it? Where did it come from? Who made it, and who was the pilot? These questions whirled around in his head as he gazed on it. Then it turned its head and looked straight at him. He vaguely noticed a diamond shaped object colored a darker gold then the rest of the head nestled above the cockpit as he realized that he had been spotted. The zoid let a screech and took off running. Cursing mildly, Brad followed.  
  
Dana was also cursing. She had thought that there wasn't anyone else in the area. Now this strange fox-like zoid was hot on her trail. Which surprised her. There weren't that many zoids capable of keeping up with her. Even a White Leager would have had trouble. But this one didn't appear to have that problem. Okay, she thought, let's see how maneuverable you are. With that she plunged into the trees where they seemed the thickest. The other zoid followed her with little difficulty and seemed to be able to clear the trees as easily as she. Impressive. Dana wondered what else this zoid was capable of.  
  
Brad was wondering the same thing. This new zoid could maneuver as well as his Shadowfox. He definitely had to meet the pilot. A zoid like that might be a good addition to the Blitz team in the upcoming battles. Doc would probably agree. "Come on, Fox, don't let this zoid get the better of you," he said as he increased speed.  
  
Together the two zoids ran through the woods. They seemed to be testing each other's strengths and powers without being forced to fire on each other. Neither pilot wanted an actual fight; this was more of a contest of endurance and agility. They were more curious about what the other was capable of. The chase was just the beginning.  
  
But Dana knew that somehow she had to lose him. She didn't want him getting too close so soon. She needed time to learn more about this place and its people before she could do anything else. Griftor turned left and increased his speed. The zoid behind them fell back a little but still followed behind. There had to be a way. Then she had an idea. "Hey, Griftor, can you get a contour map of the area?"  
  
Brad fought hard to keep up with that strange zoid ahead of him. But the Shadowfox could only go so fast. Eventually the Shadowfox would need to stop and rest. But Brad wanted to know more about that zoid first. Gradually, it got farther and farther ahead of him; until he could only make out its silhouette ahead of him. Then he burst out of the forest and into the sunlight. He was blinded for a moment and hit the brakes instinctively. When he could see clearly again, he was glad that he did. The Shadowfox had stopped at the edge of a steep cliff. There was no sign of the zoid he'd been chasing. Brad carefully looked over the cliff to try to find it again. But he couldn't see any sign of it. It was like the zoid had disappeared! But that wasn't possible. He turned to the Shadowfox's sensors to see if they picked up anything. Even if the zoid had stealth mode, Brad should be able to find it. But there wasn't a trace of it anywhere near him. He slumped back in seat to finally admit defeat. The warrior hated losing. Brad had no idea how that zoid got away from him. It certainly piqued his interest and he was determined to try to find it again. And the next time they would meet, it would not get away. Reluctantly Brad turned his zoid around and headed back the way that he came. He knew for certain that he and Shadowfox would meet that zoid and its pilot again. He could feel it.  
  
Griftor soared through the sky, grateful that both it and Dana had managed to get away. It wasn't as if the zoid wasn't against meeting other zoids, but now was too soon. Its pilot needed to learn more about how zoids were used on this planet before she could do anything else. And Griftor wanted to know if there were others like it. Other zoids with an organoid system. Especially ones equipped as it was. It gave the mental equivalent of a sigh and looked for a suitable landing area beyond the forest. Its sensors told it that there was a town nearby; Dana might be able to gather some information there. It had been waiting this long to meet its lost kin, a few more days couldn't hurt.  
  
"Any word yet?" "Yes sir. All of the capsules entered the planet's atmosphere without incident. Shall I give the order to descend to the planet's surface, sir?" "Yes, go ahead. I wonder what we'll find here."  
  
Okay, I know that this ends kind of abruptly, but I really would like your take on this. Please R&R for me, I really would like to know if this is liked enough for me to continue (but I might continue anyway). 


	2. The Deal

The sun was beating down with a vengeance. Thankfully, Griftor was able to keep most of the heat out of the cockpit. Dana and her zoid had been traveling for two days now. All she could see was desert and mountains. But according to the map that she had, there should be a town of some sort nearby. What she really needed was some place where Griftor can get a check up. At the last town they were at, the people had marveled at her zoid's unique design. Just like everywhere else that she had been, no one could even remember a story about a zoid like hers. Everyone was glad to help a struggling, new warrior out. They gave her a listing of all the teams (imagine using zoids for sports!), the map, some money, food, and a place to sleep for the night. The next day, they left the town and headed on their way. Dana was beginning to think that she had read the map wrong when Griftor drew her attention to something that was over the horizon. It looked like a large golden fan with a blue jewel in the center. It rested atop of a skyscraper on the edge of a town. Yes! There it was. Maybe they might even know where a mechanic shop is. "Come on, boy, let's get there!" she urged as she increased the speed. The zoid was quite willing to comply. It wanted to meet other zoids and learn from them what this world was like. Maybe it'll finally find others like it.  
  
Doc was happy. His team had made it to Class S, and won the Royal Cup. Now they were preparing for the next challenge. He had called them back from their vacation time to get ready. Everyone was gathered before him. They looked refreshed and ready for action. But there were things that they needed to do first. "Okay team, listen up. I know that you might be reluctant to go back to work, but I wanted to us to prepare now for whatever is coming up next. I'm going to have the zoids overhauled now to see if there are any problems." The team groaned. The cost of the overhauls would eat up a large percentage of the money they had left. But Doc was insistent, "Better to get rid of them now then to mess up later in battle." That was his final word on the matter. He then turned and headed to the front desk to talk to the clerks. On his way there, he spotted a young woman who looked like she just swallowed something foul. The girl was wearing black vest and boots along with a white t-shirt and brown pants. She had her copper hair pulled up in a ponytail and fingerless gloves on. It looked like that she was a little older than Lena, maybe closer to Brad's age. Her posture and arm muscle suggested that she was a warrior, but he didn't think that she fit the description of any warrior Doc had heard of. "Hello there. What seems to be your problem?" he said. If she was a warrior, then maybe he could strike some kind of deal with her to join the team. It wouldn't hurt to have another pilot and zoid on standby. She jumped at the sound of his voice, startled. The young woman smiled and stood. "Money. I want to get my zoid a check-up but apparently I don't have enough money to get it," she said. "Well, what estimate did they give you?" She handed him a slip of paper with a price on the bottom. It was a bit high, but well within the Blitz team's budget. Inspiration came to him. He turned to her, "Let me tell you what. It just so happens that my team's zoids are in for an overhaul right this moment. How about I add your zoid to the list and you can work it off by joining my team?" She seemed to consider it for a moment then reached a decision. Holding out her hand she said, "All right. You've got a deal. I don't think you'll regret it either. My name is Dana Sol." He took her hand and shook it. "I'm Dr. Toros. Call me 'Doc.'" Together they walked over to the counter to talk to the clerks.  
  
"Uh oh," Jamie said. He was watching Doc going to the counter while the others were sitting around, waiting for him to get back. "What is it, Jamie?" Lena asked. The strategist's tone brooded no good. "Doc's stopped and now he's talking so some girl." "Wonder what they're talking about," Bit said. They all looked over and saw Doc talking with a copper-haired girl. Brad had to admit that the girl had a nice figure, but it was hard to tell at this distance. Then they watched them shake hands and walk to the counter. "Something tells me that we've got a new team mate," Brad mused. The others groaned at the prospect. Doc was always making deals with people without thinking everything through. The team wondered what he had gotten them into this time. Brad's prediction was justified as Doc and the girl walked over to them. "Okay, team. I want you to meet our newest member, Dana Sol," he announced. "Dana, these will be your new team mates. This is Bit Cloud, my daughter Lena, Brad, and Jamie." "Hi everyone. It is nice to meet you," she said. Dana looked over her new companions and didn't feel welcomed. They looked at her as a curiosity and unknown. She hoped that given time, they would warm up to her. Brad was right, she was attractive but she looked young. He hoped that she was as good a warrior as Doc thought she might be. "Okay, all of you go ahead and look around. Dana, you go on and join them, I'll look after your zoid," Doc said. "Griftor." "Huh?" "My zoid is called Griftor, Doc. Why don't I go down with you bring him in? He can be a bit unruly around strangers," she suggested. "I can catch up with the others afterwards." Doc nodded and they left to bring in the new zoid. After a moment, Bit got up and followed. "Hey Bit, where are you going?" Lena called. He turned and looked at them, "I'm going to see what this new zoid looks like. From the sound of it, Griftor may be a zoid we haven't seen before. Don't tell me that the rest of you aren't just as curious." Admittedly they were and followed Doc and Dana. What kind of zoid did this girl have? Their question was son answered as they watched Dana bring Griftor. The team was gathered on a catwalk above the maintenance bay. When Griftor made his entrance, everyone gasped. It looked magnificent. Doc had made a good deal for once. But Brad couldn't believe it. This was a small planet after all. Griftor was the very same zoid that he had seen in the forest when he was on vacation. Which meant that Dana was the mysterious pilot that had managed to get away from him. Although the idea of going against her had a certain appeal, he was glad that they would be on the same team. Her arsenal was impressive looking and he doubted that most of it would still be there if it wasn't useful. "Incredible! I've never seen a zoid like that before! What a great addition to our team it will be!" Doc was drooling over the latest zoid. Jamie, Bit and Lena were speechless and amazed by what they saw. Doc was dancing as he left to get a closer look at Griftor. "Wow," whispered Lena. "Yeah, no kidding. It's amazing," seconded Bit. "Looks like Doc actually made a good deal for once," Jamie said. Brad didn't say anything. After a moment he told the others something to the effect that he would catch up with them later. Then he went down for a closer peek himself. He also wanted to talk a bit more with Dana.  
  
"Wow! What an incredible zoid. I'm surprised that none of the other teams have wanted you to join them. But then I may have been lucky and gotten to you first, my dear," Doc said as he watched mechanics scramble over Griftor to begin. Dana was standing beside him feeling a little embarrassed. She knew that there weren't many zoids like Griftor around anymore, but that didn't stop her from feeling this way. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a disc. "This is my zoid's schematic. It will help you with the check-up," she said and handed it to the nearest mechanic. She froze in surprise. Dana recognized the mechanic that was taking the disc. Fortunately, she remembered what she had been told to do if this should ever happen. The pilot recovered quickly and pretended that nothing happened. And the mechanic did the same thing. The other women took and the disc and gave it to her supervisor who was talking with Doc. Behind them, Dana could see Brad coming her way. Brad was kind of cute in her opinion. But he had an air of arrogance that put her off. Still, it was too early to make those kind of judgments. He walked up beside her and took a long good look at her zoid. "Nice zoid. It's great to be able to take a closer look this time," he said. "What do you mean by 'this time'?" she asked. Brad laughed to himself and pointed to a zoid that was behind them. She recognized it as the same zoid that she had seen in the mountains. Then she laughed. "So you're the pilot that I ran into," she said. He nodded, "Small planet isn't it? My zoid is called Shadowfox." "Hmm. Nice name. Does it perform up to it?" "You bet. Come on, I'll show you around." She agreed. Together they walked off to the games room. Brad told her about the ZBC, team ranks, and pointed out to her other zoid warriors and what teams they were on. Dana absorbed this information and stored away for later. "Where do I register?" "I think that there is a registration station over there. I'll help," he said. "Thanks." "You know, I'm glad that we're on the same team. But it's also a shame that I won't get a chance to go up against your zoid," Brad told her. She laughed, "Be glad that we're on the same team. There are few zoids that could take down Griftor; and I don't think that your zoid is one of them." Brad smiled but didn't say anything. Dana got registered as a member of the Blitz team and was given her registration console. She carefully pocketed it and Brad led her to where the others were.  
  
"Doc Toros, your zoids are ready," a clerk announced. "Ah, good. Is everything all right?" he asked. The clerk nodded, "They all seem to be in good shape. But I thought that you would want to know. It appears that the Griftor zoid has a black box similar to the Laeger Zero's. We couldn't scan it. "And it has some unusual weapons. The two cannons on the back are actually pulse cannons. They're expensive and hard to get. But I bet it beats having to buy ammo all the time. The structure is unlike anything that I have ever seen before. You sure got a rare zoid here, Doc." Doc signed the bill and took the disc with the schematic on it. He thought about how strange it was that no one had ever heard of a zoid like this before now; there haven't even been rumors about Griftor. And where on earth did that girl get pulse cannons small enough to fit on it. Current technology hadn't found a way to make pulse weapons small enough for such a purpose. The way that they had just shown up was weird too. It was like the zoid and its pilot just dropped out of the sky somehow. The whole thing left him uneasy. He would have to talk to Dana later. Right now there were other matters to attend to. 


	3. Encounters

Brad walked down the hall with Dana at his side. He was telling her about various teams in the league and pointing out other warriors to her. The newbie was enjoying it immensely. She couldn't imagine her luck. Not only was Griftor being serviced, but now she had managed to get on an excellent team too. Things just might work out after all she thought. Brad was thinking along similar lines. Just by chance he had met up again with the pilot and zoid that had managed to somehow outrun him and the Shadowfox. It would be interesting to find out how Dana had done that. But he was glad that Doc had managed to get her to join them and not some other team. Although it would be kind of fun to face off with her, he had the feeling that Dana and her zoid were not people you wanted as an opponent. She moved with the grace and confidence of an experienced warrior, even though she looked young. And she was sort of cute. He decided that it would be worth it to get to know her better. "Look over there. They have some simulator games if you want to try them out," he said. It wouldn't be a bad idea to see how good she was. "Sure. Lead the way."  
  
Griftor was content. It was finally getting a good overhaul. The last one was months ago, long before its pilot knew that she had been chosen for this assignment. The zoid relaxed and let the human technicians go all over him. It had almost mellowed out when it sensed something. It was something that Griftor hadn't felt in a long time. One of its 'children' was here with it. The zoid sought out the source and found it. It was coming from the Leager model next to it. If Griftor was human, it would have smiled broadly and embraced its child. Leager was pleasantly surprised to find its sire here with it in the hangar. The two of them hadn't seen each other for centuries it seems like. It hoped (as much as it was capable of hoping) that the sire would stay. It would be good to catch up and find out what had been going on in the universe. As the techs went over the machines, they talked to each other, catching up and getting reacquainted.  
  
Jack Sisco was enjoying himself. His Lightning Sike was getting an overhaul along with the rest of the Lightning Team's zoids and he thought that he would pass the time playing his favorite simulator game. And he was doing well this round. He had beaten most of his other opponents and the only two left were Harry Champ and Leon Toros. It shouldn't be too hard to beat Champ, but Leon was another matter. He was a worthy opponent and worth taking the time to fight. Jack's attention was caught when he noticed that someone else besides him and Leon was shooting at Harry. "Now, I wonder who that could be?" he muttered and focused his attention on the new player. After a few minutes, it was evident that this guy was no rookie. The way that he or she moved the zoid was impressive and had taken Harry out in only a few shots. Now the player's focus was on Leon. "Well, well. Let's see what you can do," Jack muttered and decided to try him or her out.  
  
"Aaargh. I can't believe that I lost," Harry wailed as he stepped out of the booth. He had been going up against Jack Sisco of the Lightning Team and Lena's brother Leon from the Flugal team. All right, he had to admit that the Champ hadn't been too well during the game, but he thought that he had Leon cornered when someone else started shooting at him and blew him out of the game. "Gee, Harry, lost again, did ya? Maybe you should practice more," Bit said from behind. Harry nearly jumped at the sound of his rival, turned, and glared at him in rage. "Well, if you're so good, Bit Cloud, why don't you go in there and fight!" he exclaimed. He noticed that Lena and Jamie were also there, standing a little ways back from Bit, looking at the screen. "Wow, whoever did that is good," Jamie commented. Lena agreed, "Yeah, he is. I wonder who that pilot is?" Harry was shocked. "But, Lena darling, don't you care that, that person blew my zoid up!" Lena turned to him as if just noticing that he was there for the first time (and it was). She shook her head. "No, Harry. I honestly can't. You're a marginal warrior while this guy." "Just froze Leon's zoid!" Bit cried out. The group turned back to the screen and saw that it was true. The unknown pilot had Leon chasing to a cliff. Then the pilot rebounded off of the cliff wall and fired point blank at Leon, taking him down and out of the game. "Hey, he is good," Harry grudgingly admitted. "Who's good?" Brad asked as he and Dana walked up to them. As Jamie gave them an update, Leon had gotten out and had noticed the Blitz team. He decided that it wouldn't hurt to say hello to the old gang and find out who that cute girl with Brad was. "Hey everyone. How are you doing?" "We're all right. Just came in for an overhaul before the next challenge," Bit said. "So, who is this lovely young lady with you, Brad?" Leon asked looking at Dana. Dana blushed as Brad made the necessary introductions. She wasn't use to having guys compliment her like that, although Leon wasn't the first. "Any idea who that guy was that defeated you, Leon?" Lena asked. It was now down to Jack Sisco and the stranger. Right now, the two were playing a combination of cat-and-mouse with hide-and-seek. None of them knew who was winning at the moment. "Not a clue. He just showed up in the middle of battle and went after Harry," Leon answered, his eyes focused on the screen above them. The stalemate continued on for a while when suddenly Jack's zoid went down into a large hole, pinning him down, unable to move. The other pilot quickly appeared and finished the job off. Jack had lost and the stranger had won. They could all hear Jack as he began swearing and generally throwing a tantrum. He stormed out of the booth, looking for the pilot that had defeated him. Dana wasn't impressed. "Geez, can't the guy lose gracefully? It's not that big a deal. It's only a game," she said. "Yeah, but it's a game that he's very good at. It hurts his ego that someone else beat him," commented Bit. Dana earlier mood remained. She had to admit that she had her prideful moments, but they were few. In her eyes, Jack had too much pride. From the corner of her eye, she saw someone that was most likely the winner of that game. He was a tall man a few years her senior with wavy blond hair and green eyes. He wore glasses which seemed to keep sliding down his nose. The man was dressed casually, not like a zoid pilot at all. He generated an air of trust and confidence. Dana covered her mouth with her fist to keep from smiling. She should have known, the stunt that brought Jack down was a trademark of his. But she couldn't say anything, not now at least. He walked up to the fuming Jack and extended a hand to the pilot. "Good game. You're quite good at handling a zoid. But you should work on paying a closer attention to your opponents, you know? Your sensors should have noticed that I was staying in one place for too long; and if you had just avoided that one spot, you would have been fine," he said. Dana had to bite her knuckles to keep from laughing. Jack looked shocked at meeting the victor and didn't seem to appreciate the advice being handed down to him. He was almost growling and would have probably jumped him if Leon hadn't stepped forward and began to shake the offered hand. "You weren't so bad yourself. Where did you learn a move like that?" "From my father. He's a zoid pilot, like my sister. My name is Ben," Ben had seen Dana standing here and neglected to mention his last name. Good thing, it would have lead to questions that shouldn't be answered right now. "What team are you on?" Leon asked. Ben looked confused. "Team?" "Yeah, what team? Because I think that you would make a great addition to my team, the Flugal team," replied Leon. Ben smiled. "Oh, but I'm not on any team. I'm not even a real warrior like you guys are." Everyone except for Dana looked at him, surprised. She was trying to keep from bursting out laughing. "You're not," Bit finally said. "No, I'm a general practioner, a doctor," he said. Now everyone's jaws had dropped. Ben had the good sense to quickly say good-bye and leave before anyone recovered. Jack overcame the news first and started to go after Ben in full rage. Leon and Harry went after Jack to try to calm him down. Bit, Lena, and Jamie broke down laughing. Brad laughed with them but he was studying Dana out of the corner of his eye. Out of all of them, she seemed the least surprised about Ben. What did that mean? He realized that she hadn't told him much about her and her past this whole time. He needed to sit her down and really talked to her. This girl seemed to have a lot of mystery about her. For some reason, that fascinated him about the new pilot.  
  
He was bored. Bored, bored, BORED!! All of Mouse's friends and usual game playing buddies were either out on the scouting mission on this new planet or busy around base camp. Which left him with nothing to do when he wasn't working with his computers. The only other person here that was close to his age technically was Lily. But she wasn't any fun. She had the mental and personal maturity of an eight- year-old. The girl didn't know much about computers unless they pertained to her Rainos. All she would want to play was cards, and Mouse sucked at cards. Mouse was a lanky boy of fourteen with short, unkempt black hair and pale eyes. He wore a special pair of goggles when he was on the computers to save his eyesight. His clothes seemed to be too large for his compact frame but he was comfortable in them. Mouse was one of those people that were better at dealing with computers then with people. But Lady Sol insisted that he come out of his hole once in a while, and she wasn't one of those people that you could refuse easily. His job at base camp was to gather what information he could on the net of this planet. Mouse had already sent out various programs to check out the pilots and their zoids. And to see how the scouts were doing. Until then though, he had nothing to do. "I hope something happens soon and the others would come back. I miss them," he said to no one. "So do I, Mouse," a voice replied. The boy jumped at the sound and nearly fell out of his chair. Behind him was a tall man in his fifties with graying red hair and full beard. His face was weathered but still looked kind. Despite his age, his body was still in top condition and he was currently dressed in casual clothing. The way the man stood gave the impression that he was a man of military training. And that he was no stranger to battle He said nothing to Mouse as he came over and sat beside him. "I just hope that Johnson leaves this planet alone," he commented. Mouse's face fell and shook his head. "Doubtful, sir. This place is primed for an invasion. They don't have space travel, which means that they're isolated from anyone else. They use zoids, but not for military applications. I think that it would be kinda easy for her to come in and take over." Admiral Sol nodded and rested his chin on his folded hands. "Which is exactly what we are going to try to prevent, Mouse. Any data on her plans yet?" "No, sir. But the gang just got my gear set up last night. It will take me a while to get back up to speed." "Well, let me know when you do. As always, time is of the essence. And something that we never seem to have enough of." 


End file.
